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Letter on Dangers for Illinois Community Colleges | Inside Higher Ed

In a letter to Illinois’ Legislature and Governor Bruce Rauner, the state’s Council of Community College Presidents warns that the continued budget impasse is threatening to close down their institutions.

“We are at a tipping point. If this impasse continues, the consequence will be profound and lasting. Payrolls will not be met, programs will be closed, staff and faculty will be reduced to mere shells. To be clear, we are far beyond the point of reducing administrative costs and suspending travel. Without a reliable and consistent budgeting process, colleges will close and students will be turned away. We can’t use regulatory relief nor the repeal of unfunded mandates to pay our employees,” the letter read.

The ongoing two-year state budget impasse had caused hundreds of layoffs within the state’s community colleges and universities, and a number of programs have closed. Meanwhile, the University of Illinois System is backing a proposal by some legislators that could lead to appropriations for the system’s three campuses on a regular basis.